Rail anchor



P. W. MOORE.

' RAIL ANCHOR.

. APPLICATION FILED MAR-15,1922;

Emma M; 311911922 different widthsmade' greater; the device Patenterll @ct. Sill,

"P2113313? "W. MOORE, 01F HUBiBARIDv WOODS, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO THE P M COMPANY,

035 CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION 013 ILLINOIS.

EATL ANCHOR.

' Application filed mantis, 1922. Serial No. 543,999.

To aZZwhom it may concern:

Be it known that T, PHILIP W. Moonn, a citizen of the United States, residing at Hubbard Woods, in the county of Cook and tate of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful'improvements in Rail Anchors, of which the followingds a specification.

My invention relates to a rail anchor or anti-creeper of the type comprising two members provided with jaws for gripping the opposite edges of the base of the rail to which the device is applied and having an interlocking tongue and groove engagement one with the other under the rail base, one of the members being formed with an extended bearing face adapted to engage one side of the tie'a'gainst which the anchor isplaced.

The object of the invention is to provide certain improvements in a rail anchor of this type whereby the strength of the device under the stresses to which it is subjected in service is increased, in comparison with rail anchors of this type, as heretofore used; its range of ad ustab1l1ty to rail bases of rendered easier of application to the rail and its correct adjustment thereon and against the tie assured; and the manufacture of the parts facilitated and cheapened. Rail anchors are manufactured, shipped and used often in large quantities. They are subjected to very intense stresses when functioning properly to check the forward creeping of the rails, which stresses tend to distort, stretch or tear the metal. On the other hand, the necessity for economizing metal in the manufacture of these devices and for minimizing freight charges in their transportation makes it desirable to reduce weight as far as can be done consistently with strength and durability. Inasmuchas rail anchors are applied to the rails in large I numbers and usually by unskilled labor, and,-

as it often happens that the ties against which the anchors bear are of irregular shape'or stand obliquely to-the rail, itfis very important, since the holding power of a rail anchor depends upon its correct adjustment, that the parts of the anchorbe isoconstructed as to be capable of a quick and accurately adjusted application to therail.

lit is also important that the anchors be Y .fied by flanges 21 and wlth a dependlng adapted to fit rails having base flanges of difierent widths without sacrificing holding power or strength when used on. the rails of greater widths.

v My present invention provides a rail anchor which, it is believed, by a novel con struction that combines all of the advantageous features above noted, is practically much superiorto any rail anchor of this general type heretofore made and used.

An anchor constructed in accordance with the invention is illustrated in the accom- Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the device,

with the rail in section, ta-kenon line 2- 2 of Fig. 1. v

Fig. 3 is a view, in perspective of one'of the members constituting the anchor, and b Fig. 1 is a similar view of the other mem- Referring to the drawing, 10 designates the base flange of a railroad rail and 11 one ofthe tieson which the rail is supported.

.The" anchorcon sists of twomembers, a clip, designated A, and a mate, as it will be hereinafter termed, designated B. .The clip 7 consists of a preferably flat plate 12 formed at one end with a jaw 13 and at the other end with a channeled offset portion l l'providing an upwardly opening groove 15 which is slightly. oblique with respect to the jaw 13. The rear edge of the clip, that is p to say, the edge remote from the tie against which the anchor bears, is formed with a strengthening flange 16 extending around the jaw 13 and, at the other end, united with the channeled offset portion 14. The forward edge of the plate is formed with a depending flange 17 which also extends around jaw 13 and, at theother end of the clip, is enlarged to provide a preferably fiat tie abutting web 18 braced by a triangular strut 19.

The plate 12 is widened by enlargement forwardly at the end provided with groove 15 and groove 15 extends all the way across this place of maximum width of the plate.

The tie abutting web 18 is flush with the front edge of the plate at its widened end and extends to and is united with the chan-,

neled ofiset 1a.

The mate B is provided with a aw' rigidirespect to jaw 20. The tongue 22 is designed to fit into the groove in the clip and the obliquity of the groove and tongue is such that jaw on the mate is drawn toward jaw 13 on the clip when the mate 1s drlven toward the tie against which the anchor bears. The mate is preferably formed with a flat surface 23 which aligns with the flat upper surface of the'clip, both these suri railbase 10 with the web 18 of the clip bearing against the tie l1 and then placing the mate on the other edge of the rail base with its tongue 22 in groove 15 of the clip and driving the mate toward tie 11 until a tight fit of the parts of the anchor on the 'rail' base is effected. The jaw 13 being set back with respect to the bearing web 18 stands away from the tie. The creeping stress of the rail, therefore, tends to produce a cramping grip on the rail of the anchor as a whole 'as well as the wedging action of the parts thereof so as to augment the holding power of the device. The offsetting of jaw 13 has another purpose. Ties are frequently irregular in shape or skewed in the road bed. If the front face of aw 13 were in line with web 18 theirregularity or skewed position of the tie might be such that in applying the clip the jaw would touch the tie while the other end of the clip stood away from the tie. Under these conditions when the mate was driven into'place" there would be a tendency for the clip to turn on the rail making the application of the anchor diflicult and the security of its hold on the rail base uncertain. By forming the anchor so that jaw 13 stands back of the bearing web 18 some latitude is allowed for irregularities in the shape and position of the tie so that inmost cases, at least, the undesirable conditions above noted will not exist. By effecting th'is offset of the jaw 13 through narrowing this end of the clip metal is economized at a place on the anchor where such economy can be effected without sacrificing strength. It is desirable that the other end of the clip be aswide as possible, in the first place, because the we'dg'ing engagement of the mate against the clip requires strength and rigidity in this part of. the anchor, and in the second place, in order that, since the stability of the tongue and groove wedging engagement depends upon having the tongue and groove in engagement for a considerable distance, the tongue and groove may be as long as possible. This is important when the anchor is used on a relatively wide rail since with a rail of more than average width (referring to the range of adjustability'of the anchor) the mate cannot be driven as far toward the tie as with rails having base flanges of lesser width. The tie abutting Web 18 is arranged in line with groove 15 so thatthe mate when applied to v the clipis driven directly toward the place of bearing of the clip on the tie. The web 18 is flush with the edge of the plate 12 of theclip, at the place of'maximum, width of the plate, is preferably flat and at sub stantially right angles with the plate, and is continuous with the rigidifying flan 'e 17 on the forward edge of the plate. Y rail anchor having its tie abutting web-flush with the edge of the body of the clip or equivalent part, has been found to be stronger than a construction involving the offsetting of the web forwardly from the bar or plate constituting the body of the clip. Theadvantage of having the tie abutting member stand forwardly of the body of the clip is that the clip is heldaway from the tie so as to allow greater range of movement of the mate for rails of different widths of base flange. But experience has shown that this expedient of offsetting the flange is likely to result in structural weakness. The creeping stresses developed in the'rail are likely to tear the body of the chp from the tie abutting member. The spacing of the clip back from the tie may be accomplished by a tie abutting web which is flush with the edge of the clip at the top and is curved forwardly at the bottom. But this expedient adds to the cost of manufacture by making the molding of the clip more difficult. In the improved anchor of my present invention the increased range of adjustability is provided for Without either weakening the anchor structurally or increasing its cost of production. The same construction increases to a maximum the possible extent of interlock, that is, the amount of surface in contact between the clip and mate. The upper surfaces of both clip and mate and the surfaces bearing against the bottom of the rail base flange are flat. Experience has shown that where these surfaces are curved there is a tendency for the curved portions to straighten out under wedging and creeping stresses so as to impair the effectiveness of the hold of the device on the rail. The web 18 strengthens the offset channeled structure 14 which receives the-tongue of the mate as does also the strut 19, the primary purpose of which' a 1 Assess 2. A rail anchor consisting of clip and mate members havinga wedging tongue and groove engagement with each other under the rail base at one side thereof and formed with jaws to engage opposite edges of said rail base, the body of the clip being formed at the place of said tongue andgroove engagement with a surface to bear against a tie, and said clip being provided with an extended flat. depending tie abutting web, the front surface of which is flush with the aforesaid surface and this end of the clip being wider than the jaw end so that the jaw on the clip normally stands away from the tie against which the anchor bears.

A rail anchor consisting of clip and mate members having a wedging tongue and groove engagement with each other under the rail base at one side thereof and formed with jaws to engage opposite edges of said rail base and with fiat, aligned surfaces to bear against the under side of the rail base, the inner edges of which surfaces are substantially in contact with just enough clearance to allow relative movement as between the members, the clip being provided with an extended tie abutting web at the end engaged by the mate and this end of the clip bein wider than the jaw end so that the jaw on tie clip normally stands away from the tie against which the anchor bears.

4. A rail anchor comprising a clip consist ing of a metal plate formed at one end with a jaw, the other end being extended forwardly to give it greater widththan the jaw end of the plate and formed at its place of maximum width with a depending tie abutting web, flush with the edge of the plate,and with a groove extending the full width of the bar and slightly oblique with respect to said jaw, and a mate having an oblique rib to enter the groovein the clip and formed with a rail engaging jaw.

5. A railanchor compris'ng a clip consisting of a metal plate formed at one end with a jaw, the other end being extended forwardly to give it greater width than the jaw end of the plate and formed at its place of maximum width with a depending 'tie abutting web, the front surface of which is flush with the edge of'the plate, and with a groove extending the full width of the bar and slightly oblique with respect to said jaw,

and a. matehaving an oblique rib to enter the groove in thefclip and formed with a rail engaging aw,'sa1d mate and clip having fiat, aligning, upper surfaces which bear against. the-under surface of the rail base the inner edges of which surfaces are substantially in contact with just enough clearance to allow relative movement as between the members.

6. A rail anchor comprising a clip consisting of a metal plate formed at one [end with a jaw, the other end being extended forwardly to give it greater width than the jaw end of the plate and formed at its place of maximum width with a depending tie abutting, fiat web, the front surface of which is flush with the edge of the plate and at right angles thereto, and with a groove extending the full width of the bar and slightly oblique with respect to said jaw, and a mate having an oblique rib to enter the groove in the clip and formed with a rail engaging I jaw, said mate and clip having flat, aligning,

upper surfaces which bear against the under surface of the rail base the inner edges of which surfaces are substantially in contact with just enough clearance to allow relative movement as between the members.

7. A rail anchor consisting of clip and "mate members having a wedging tohgue and groove engagement with each other under the rail base at one side thereof and formed with jaws to engage the opposite edges of said rail base, the clip being provided with an extended tie abutting web at the extreme end of the portion of the clip engaged by the mate the front face of which is flush with the front edge face of the clip and this end of the clip being formed so that it projects forwardly beyond the forward edge of the ja wend of the clip, for the.purpose described. j

8. A. rail anchor comprising, in combination, a clip consisting of a flat plate formed at one end with a jaw, the other end of the plate. being widened to project forwardly beyond the jaw and formed at: it's place of maximum width with a depending, channeled offset portion providing an oblique upwardly opening groove. the plate having flanges along its rear and forward edges, the latter being provided at the place of maximum width of the plate, with anenlargement constituting a tie abutting web the front face of which isflush with the front face of said web, and a mate formed with a rail base engaging jaw and an oblique, depending tongue adapted to enter the groove in the clip.

I PHILIP W. MOORE.

lot 

